Pipe tongs



March 14, 1939. I G. L. SPECK Z,15@,511

' PIPE'TONGS Filed Jan. 20, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 GrQQ/Q'r 15/0 1 A florneys March 14, 1939. G. L SPECK PIPE TONGS Filed Jan. 20, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I m r kw w A A/ Inventor e m 2 4 n v a/ r Patented Mar. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFiCE PIPE TONGS Application January 20, 1938, Serial No. 185,951

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in pipe tongs for use principally in disconnecting the sections of well tubing as an incident to the pulling of the tubing out of the well, although "as will presently more clearly appear the tongs of my invention are well adapted for connecting such sections if desired.

The object of my invention is to provide apparatus of this character which may be easily manipulated by a single operative to handle tubing sections in the manner above indicated and which may be quickly applied to the tubing, will not slip, is strong and durable, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

To the accomplishment of the above and other objects, presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in the succeeding description, and defined in the claims appended hereto.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of my improved pipe tongs,

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation,

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the operating crank, and

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of one of the jaws and its operating rod.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, the illustrated embodiment of my invention comprises a pair of upper and lower cylindrical jaw carriers I and 2 of substantially larger diameter than the well tubing 3 fitted together in axial alignment for relative rotation by means of rabbeted ends 4 and 5 on said carriers, respectively, interfitting, as shown in Figure 1, and detachably secured together by means of an external circumferential groove 6 formed in the lower end of the upper carrier I and receiving one end of a pivotal spring pressed latch dog I, pivotally mounted, as at 8, on the lower section 2 for withdrawal from said groove when detachment of the carrier is desired. The carriers I and 2 are designed, as will be understood, upon reference to Figure 1, to be sleeved over the well tubing 3 at the beginning of the pulling operation and with the lower carrier 2 preferably resting on a suitable support at the mouth of the well and not shown.

Within each jaw carrier I, 2, is a pair of diametrically opposite flat jaw guides 9 pivotally mounted upon opposite sides of the related carrier for vertical swinging movement about axes at right angles to the axis of said carriers. The pivotal mounting, in each instance, comprises a shank II] on the outer side of each jaw guide 9 fitting between a pair oflugs II extending inwardly from the related side of the carrier, and a pivot pin I2 passing through the pair of lugs and said shank.

A pair of elongated fiat gripping jaws I3 are mounted in the inner side edges of each pair of jaw guides 9, respectively, for adjustment in arcuate paths circumferentially of the well tubing and about axes eccentric to the axis of the well tubing 3. The mountings, in this instance, comprise a dove-tailed tongue I5 on the outer side edge of each jaw I3 sliding in a similarly shaped groove I6 formed in the inner side edge of the related guide 9, the tongue and groove connection being formed in an arc of substantially greater radius than that of the well tubing 3. The other side edge of each jaw I3 is V- shaped so that the jaws of each pair span opposite sides of the well tubing 3 and said edges of the jaws I3 are toothed, as at H, to bite into the tubing 3. The teeth I1 on opposite sides of the apex of the described toothed edge of each jaw I3 are pointed in opposite directions to facilitate their biting action under rotation of the jaws in opposite directions.

The jaws I3 are so arranged that when the jaws of a pair are centered diametrically of the tubing 3 they clear the same but when adjusted in opposite directions, respectively, they will engage and grip opposite sides of the tubing 3. As a result of the described eccentric mounting thereof each pair of jaws I3 will engage the tubing with a Wedging action as will be apparent. As shown in Figure 1 the jaws I3 of the lower carrier 2 are designed to grip a lower section of well tubing and those of the upper section I an upper adjoining section of said tubing, whereby, for reasons which will be understood, the lower carrier 2 will be held stationary and under rotation of the upper carrier I the adjoining tubing section will be unscrewed, or screwed, depending upon in which direction the carrier I is rotated. As will be apparent when unscrewing a tubing section the jaws of each pair are adjusted in relatively opposite directions from centered positions and when screwing the tubing sections home the directions of adjustment are reversed.

For adjusting the jaws I3 the following means are provided. A horizontally disposed jaw adjusting lever I8 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on each carrier I and 2 in substantially the plane of the lug ll of the related carrier and by means of an ear l9 extending outwardly from the carrier and a pivot pin 20 extending through ear and lever. The lever IS, in each instance, is swingable in opposite directions, respectively, and the ear E9, in each instance, is located midway'between the pivot pins 12 of the related jaw carriers 9. One end of each lever 68 is provided with a hand grip 2 l. Each lever i8 is operatively connected to the related pair of jaws l3 by means of a pair of rods 22 extending from the lever on opposite sides of the pivot 20 I thereof, respectively, to adjacent ends of the related pairs of jaws I3 and connected to said lever and jaws by ball and socket joints 23. It will be manifest that by swinging the levers IS in opposite directions the related jaws 12 may be adjusted selectively in the manner previously described The rods 22 extend through slots 24 in the lower carrier 2 and in the case of the upper carrier l over the top thereof with the ball and socket joints 2?; downwardly offset in any suitable manner.

The ball and socket joints 23 and the described pivotal mounting of the jaw guides 54 provide for vertical compensating movement of the jaws 53 when the carriers I and 2 are being positioned over the tubing 3 and thereby prevent the jaws 3 from binding against the tubing l3, and also for relative axial movement of the tubing sections during unscrewing and screwing together of the same. Pivotal movement downwardly of the jaws IS in the upper carrier l is limited by contact of the associated rods 22 with the top of vsaid carrier, and similar movement of the jaws it in the lower carrier 2 by contact of the associated rods 22 with the lower ends of the slots 24.

Means are provided for rotating the upper carrier i relatively to the lower carrier 2 as follows. The lower carrier 2 has extending radially therefrom a pair of upper and lower bearing brackets 25 and 25' in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 25 disposed parallel with the axis of the carriers I and 2 and having fast on its upper end a gear pinion 21 meshing with external gear teeth 28 on the upper carrier I. The shaft 26 is driven by means of a pair of beveled gears 29 and 30, the former fast on the shaft intermediate its ends and the latter fast on one end of a sleeve 3| journalled in the lower bracket 25 at right angles to the shaft 26 and having clutch teeth 32 on the opposite end thereof. Rotation is imparted to the sleeve 3| by means of a crank 33 adapted to be inserted in the sleeve 3| and having clutch teeth 34 thereon for engagement with the clutch teeth 32.

Since the use and o-peration of my invention have been set forth in detail in connection with the foregoing description of structure,- it is thought that the invention will be clearly understood without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as described,.is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to all such modifications falling within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. Pipe tongs for use in connection with contiguous jointed pipe sections, comprising a pair of cylindrical jaw carriers connected together in axial relation and relatively rotatable and fitting over said sections, respectively, upon opposite sides of the joint thereof, a pair of jaw members mounted in each carrier in opposed relationto grip the respective section therebetween, the jaws in each pair being swingable about axes at right angles to' that of I the carriers and each pair being independently adjustable transversely of the carrier into and from gripping relation to the respective section, means for adjusting each pair of jaws, and means for rotating said sections, relatively, including a crank operated gear drive.

2. Pipe tongs for use in connection with contiguous jointed pipe sections comprising a pair of cylindrical jaw carriers connected together in axial relation and relatively rotatable and fitting over said sections, respectively, upon opposite sides of the joint thereof, a pair of jaw guides mounted in each carrier upon opposite sides of the respective section and swingable about axes at right angles to that of the carriers, a pair of jaw members mounted in each pair of jaw guides and each pair being independently adjustable transversely-of the carrier in arcuate paths eccentric to the axis of the carriers into and from gripping relation to the respective section, means for adjusting each pair of jaw members, and means for rotating the carriers relatively, including a crank operated gear drive.

' GROVER LLOYD SPECK. 

